Cleat Cute: A Novel

by Meryl Wilsner

Overview

* USA TODAY BESTSELLER *

A sapphic rivals to lovers rom com for fans of Ted Lasso and A League of Their Own, where two soccer teammates are at odds before falling in love as their team gears up for the World Cup.

Grace Henderson has been a star of the US Women’s National Team for ten years, even though she’s only 26. But when she’s sidelined with an injury, a bold new upstart, Phoebe Matthews, takes her spot. 22-year-old Phoebe is everything Grace isn’t—a gregarious jokester who plays with a joy that Grace lost somewhere along the way. The last thing Grace expects is to become teammates with benefits with this class clown she sees as her rival.

Phoebe Matthews is too focused on her first season as a professional soccer player to think about seducing her longtime idol. But when Grace ends up making the first move, they can’t keep their hands off of each other.

As the World Cup approaches and Grace works her way back from injury, a miscommunication leaves the women with hilariously different perspectives on their relationship. But they’re on the same page on the field, realizing they can play together instead of vying for the same position. With every tackle the tension between them grows, and both players soon have to decide what's more important—being together or making the roster.

The perfect blend of funny and steamy, Meryl Wilsner’s Cleat Cute is about being brave enough to win on and off the field.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781250873309
Publisher:	St. Martin's Publishing Group
Publication date:	09/19/2023
Pages:	336
Sales rank:	9,021
Product dimensions:	5.30(w) x 8.10(h) x 0.90(d)

About the Author

MERYL WILSNER writes happily ever afters for queer folks who love women. They are the USA Today bestselling author of Something to Talk About and Mistakes Were Made. Born in Michigan, Meryl lived in Portland, Oregon and Jackson, Mississippi before returning to the Mitten State. Some of Meryl's favorite things include: all four seasons, button down shirts, the way giraffes run, and their wife.

Editorial Reviews

07/10/2023

In this kicky sapphic soccer romance from Wilsner (Mistakes Were Made), rookie Phoebe Matthews joins the U.S. women’s national team in New Orleans to fill in for injured veteran Grace Henderson, and sparks fly as the women challenge each other both on and off the pitch. As the team prepares for the World Cup, brash Phoebe and laconic Grace enter into a teammates with benefits affair. But with the game of their lives approaching, the differences in Phoebe’s and Grace’s personalities become impossible to ignore. They must work through a series of misunderstandings if they want to get to the World Cup with their team—and their hearts—intact. For the high heat level, the romance is surprisingly wholesome, and the grumpy/sunshine dynamic between the leads is good fun. The characters’ wordy internal monologues occasionally get in the way of narratively satisfying developments, but the undeniable chemistry between the heroines does an enormous amount of heavy lifting once the story gets moving. Wilsner makes this sports romance a winner. Agent: Patrice Caldwell, New Leaf Literary. (Sept.)

Publishers Weekly

An Instant USA Today Bestseller!
A 2023 October Indie Next Pick!

Bookish, "15 Swoonworthy Queer Romances for Your TBR"

Book Riot, "The Biggest New Queer Books Out in the Rest of 2023"

BookTrib, "Your Next Charming Read"

Buzzfeed, "25 New and Upcoming LGBTQ Romance Novels You’ve Got to Read"

Goodreads, "A Look Ahead at This Year's Big Fall Romances" and "Readers' Most Anticipated September Romances"

Lambda Literary, "September’s Most Anticipated List"

Library Journal, "The Titles to Read in 2023"

Nerd Daily, "Swoonworthy July to December 2023 Romance Book Releases"

Paste Magazine, "The Most Anticipated Romance Books of Fall 2023"

"Wilsner makes this sports romance a winner." - Publishers Weekly

"This steamy opposites-attract romance from Wilsner is recommended for all collections." - Library Journal

"Wilsner breaks new ground with a sporty twist on the meet-cute trope...Fans of the popular Apple TV show Ted Lasso and the classic sporty romance film Bend It Like Beckham will cheer for this sexy sapphic romcom that fills a gap in the heretofore male-dominated sports-romance genre." - Booklist

"[A] delightfully steamy sapphic romance...class differences are deftly handled throughout, the city setting is vibrant, and there are several secondary characters who shine; most importantly, the romantic journey at the center is fun and entertaining." - Kirkus

"This upcoming romance by Meryl Wilsner is everything I’ve ever wanted in a love story...Do not miss this book!" - Book Riot, "Books About Women’s Soccer to Read During the FIFA Women’s World Cup"

"Wilsner is one of the hottest contemporary f/f romance writers right now, and the anticipation for their latest scorcher is at a fever pitch... USWNT fans who shipped Kristie Mewis and Sam Kerr long before those two made it official: this one’s for you." - Electric Literature, "The Most Anticipated LGBTQ+ Books for Fall 2023"

"Cleat Cute is a fun, sexy read about two women falling in love regardless of what stands in their way." - The Mary Sue

"Meryl Wilsner is a go-to author for sapphic reads." - Culturess, "10 queer romance releases to keep Pride Month going in 2023"

"For anyone in need of more sapphic soccer content post-World Cup, Meryl Wilsner's latest romantic venture, Cleat Cute, is sure to fulfill your craving." - PopSugar, "Best New Romance Novels That'll Make You Swoon"

"Wilsner is such a fun author to follow, because their debut was the slowest of the slow burns, and then bam, their followup was the spiciest of the spicy (within trad pub contemporary romance), and so Cleat Cute really could’ve gone either way… and gives a great compromise by making you think it’s gonna be the former and then. Whew. You will know it when you see it, and you will like it." - Smart Bitches, Trashy Books, "September 2023 Queer Romances"

"Cleat Cute’s Sapphic Soccer Romance Will Fill the World Cup-Shaped Hole in Your Heart." - Autostraddle

Praise for Mistakes Were Made:

"Speaking of bangers: Mistakes Were Made is what the author, Meryl Wilsner, describes as their MILF book, a Sapphic age-gap romance where a brash college senior (Cassie) unwittingly hooks up with her best friend’s divorced mom (Erin) before Family Weekend... this one struck just right, with a mix of college-party shenanigans and family-holiday pressure that felt real enough to relate to but escapist enough to enjoy." - The New York Times

"Wilsner proves their serious romance range with a sophomore that laughs in the slow-burning face of their debut by kicking off with a hookup that'll have you fanning your face for days." - Buzzfeed, "26 Highly Anticipated LGBTQ+ Romance Novels Releasing In 2022"

"Wilsner’s steamy, fast-paced secret-lovers contemporary romance features fully realized queer protagonists and secondary characters...It’s not a romantic comedy, but definitely has humor, as well as great dialogue and hot sex scenes." - Library Journal

"A sexy and empowering romance." - Kirkus Reviews

"[A] hilarious, high-heat rom-com...by coupling raunchy humor and genuine connection, Wilsner’s sophomore outing offers plenty to love." - Publishers Weekly

"This book was hot. A MILF dream, if you will. Wilsner did such a great job of twisting together personal drama with relationship drama so that there was always something going on to keep me turning the pages. I would most definitely read another book by them in the future, and I highly recommend you all read this one when it comes out in October." - Write Through the Night, "Mistakes Were Made Was Fun, Flirty, and Extremely Gay"

"Mistakes Were Made is so sexy and compelling, reading it is like being in on the most tantalizing secret. From the moment I picked it up, I couldn't stop reading, smiling, or blushing. Simply delectable from start to finish." - Dahlia Adler, author of Cool for the Summer and Home Field Advantage

"A frothy blend of heart, humor, and steam, this story about accepting love and embracing the unexpected will stay with readers far beyond its happily ever after. A vibrant, intoxicating romance." - Ashley Herring Blake, author of Delilah Green Doesn't Care

"Mistakes Were Made is an absolute delight, both undeniably sexy and incredibly sweet. The story overflows with warmth, friendship, and humor, and Wilsner skillfully ensures that even when Cassie and Erin make their mistakes - big ones - those mistakes are human and understandable. I was rooting for their happy ending the whole time, and when it arrived, I cried happy tears. I think readers will adore this story, and for good reason." - Olivia Dade, author of Spoiler Alert

"In Mistakes Were Made, Wilsner somehow deftly depicts both the messy, exuberant confusion of college life and the messy, bewildering confusion of middle age. Cassie and Erin's journey is taboo and sexy, but ultimately, it is deeply sweet: a story of how love can, and should, transcend societal expectations." - Anita Kelly, author of Love & Other Disasters

"Meryl Wilsner's sophomore novel bursts with charm, humor, and heat. Mistakes Were Made left me smiling from beginning to end and you'll fall in love while rooting for this sexy, forbidden, and adorable love story. Wilsner is a storyteller who gently and perfectly steals your heart and hands it back a little fuller. I can't wait to recommend this book to everyone I know!” - Denise Williams, author of The Fastest Way to Fall

From the Publisher

08/01/2023

The New Orleans Krewe's star player, Grace Henderson, is the soccer team's veteran at just 26-years-old. She's beginning to feel her age too, but she's ignoring the twinge in her hip because she's afraid of being sidelined and replaced. At 22, Phoebe Matthews is a team newbie. It's her first season, and she couldn't be more excited to play alongside her hero, Grace. When solitary, taciturn, serious Grace meets lively, gregarious, spirited Phoebe, the sparks fly on the field and off. Neither wants a relationship—or so they think—but "friends with benefits" sounds just fine. Until they start developing feelings, and the stakes are higher than ever as they are called up to the U.S. Women's National Team and have to prepare for the World Cup. Both Phoebe and Grace are undiagnosed, untreated neurodivergent characters, and the strengths and weaknesses of their ADHD (Phoebe) and Autistic (Grace) brains are treated as matter-of-factly as their queerness. The sex scenes are fan-your-face hot, and the emotional confusion and wariness ring true. VERDICT This steamy opposites-attract romance from Wilsner (Mistakes Were Made) is recommended for all collections.—Heather Miller Cover

Library Journal

Zim Avaltrades narrates from the perspective of 26-year-old soccer veteran Grace Henderson, and Dana Varden portrays 22-year-old rookie Phoebe Matthews. Henderson and Matthews find themselves playing for the same team, in more ways than one. While jokester Phoebe is hoping to score on and off the field with her childhood icon, secretive Grace is busy hiding her hip injury and her feelings for Phoebe. Avaltrades captures Grace's ice queen persona. Avaltrades's portrayal of Phoebe matches the same boisterous quality used by her co-narrator, whose energetic delivery fits Phoebe's extroverted temperament. Both are more conversational than sexy during love scenes, and patches of Varden's audio lack continuity in volume and tone. S.S. © AudioFile 2023, Portland, Maine

NOVEMBER 2023 - AudioFile

2023-07-13
Attraction sizzles between lesbian soccer players with vastly different personalities.

Twenty-two-year-old Phoebe Matthews is leaving Indiana for Louisiana because she’s been drafted into the American Women’s Soccer Association to play for the New Orleans Krewe. Not only is this a dream come true, but it also means she gets to play alongside her idol, Grace Henderson, four years her senior and captain of the team. Grace has been playing professionally since she was a teenager and has worked to keep her personal life, including her sexuality, private. She’s initially irked by the habitually late, constantly peppy newcomer, but Phoebe’s charm and flirtation soon win prickly Grace over, even as Grace sullenly deals with an injury. A friends-with-benefits situation emerges since they both want to focus more on soccer than on a relationship, but they come to realize they want to be together both on and off the field. Wilsner follows up Mistakes Were Made (2022) with another stand-alone, delightfully steamy Sapphic romance, this time with an enticing sports angle. The opposite temperaments of the captivating couple make for amusing interactions and banter, although sometimes the narrative favors repetition over added depth. Exploration of neurodivergent identities adds more specificity to the leads, but this doesn’t come until near the end of the story, leaving it underbaked. Class differences are deftly handled throughout, the city setting is vibrant, and there are several secondary characters who shine; most importantly, the romantic journey at the center is fun and entertaining.

An enjoyably sporty queer romance.

Kirkus Reviews